


You Are My Sunshine

by EmeraldEyedFairy



Series: The Adventures of Eliza Jefferson [12]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 04:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10677492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldEyedFairy/pseuds/EmeraldEyedFairy
Summary: Alex and Eliza get some pretty bad news.





	You Are My Sunshine

Why is it that sad days always have something to do with rain in the stories? It was just a rainy Saturday afternoon. Philip had already moved in with his husband, but he was planning on visiting the following week. Eliza was in her senior year of high school. She was sitting on the couch with Papa, and they were watching some cartoon that Papa had sentimental attachment to. The distant pitter patter of rain could be heard outside, but aside from that and the tv the air was calm. Eliza felt very content.

Aside from the rain outside it wasn’t at all like the sad stories in the movies or on tv. Papa had a blanket thrown over him and he was laughing at something that happened on the show. Eliza remembered that clearly, because for the following several days Papa wouldn’t be smiling. He wouldn’t have any reason to, no matter how hard she or the other kids tried.

A knock on the door interrupted another comedic moment, and Eliza got to answer it so Papa could continue to relax. The man on the other side was wearing a black suit, and his hair was wet. That wasn’t the weird thing, it was raining so of course he was wet and people come by for business all the time, so that would explain the suit. But if he was here for business, why was he an omega?

He looked sympathetic, and Eliza felt a wave of comfort coming off of him. Papa must have felt it too because he came to the door and stood behind her. The man didn’t say anything, only handed him a letter. The letter was addressed to Mr. Jefferson. That cleared up any confusion. One of her siblings must be hurt or in the hospital. Papa took it with shaking hands, this isn’t the first time this happened.

One time while at a friend’s house Philip had fallen from a  tree and broken his legs. The hospital sent out an immediate summons, and they sent an omega as a form of maternal comfort.  

Upon opening it and scanning over the words Papa looked back up, seeming very confused, “Why does it want me and not Thomas?” Normally they ask for the alpha.

The man only said, “Your husband is not available.” Well then where’d he go?

Papa knew the answer to that, because he suddenly turned very very white. Like Eliza thought he was going to die, “You’re kidding.” He didn’t sound like he believed this at all. After giving it a bit of thought Eliza understood.

“Why is Dad in the hospital?” She asked the man. He was only allowed to give information when asked, a rule created so no one interfered.

The man turned and addressed her question while Papa scanned over the letter again, “Your father was in a serious car accident. The other drive was lighting a cigarette and slid into the oncoming lane, it was a head on collision. The other driver was killed on contact, your father is in critical condition.” Eliza blinked slowly, not really feeling like that was real. Papa moved much quicker, he shouted to Maria to watched the kids while he took off towards the awaiting vehicle that was going to take him to see Dad. Eliza made a snap decision and followed.

One time Dad said that if anything ever happened to him that it was her job to make sure Papa didn’t do anything to get himself killed or to hurt himself. She became the alpha of the house when Dad was gone. As the alpha she followed Papa at a distance, staying just close enough that he could reach out to her if he needed, but not too close that he felt smothered by her presence.

About halfway there Eliza burst into tears, the weight that Dad might go finally sinking in, and Papa was there in an instance to comfort her. She buried her face in his shirt, and cursed herself to relying on _him_. Papa surely must be feeling bad, but he hadn’t cried yet. He was acting calmly and rationally. Papa had always been the strong one, but didn’t he love Dad? Wasn’t he worried?

They were rushed into the hospital and Papa was immediately given paperwork to fill out. Afterward they were led to Dad’s room, where Papa still didn’t even tear up. Eliza cried for a second time when she saw her dad lying there all motionless and torn up. He looked nearly dead. For a second time Papa comforted her.

Eliza excused herself to go to the bathroom and clean herself up, and Papa assured her that he was fine. Apparently Eliza wasn’t the only one wondering what was up with Papa, because she overheard some of the nurses saying that he was the first omega in a while to not even tear up with the thought of losing their alpha.

She brushed that off, and decided that she should find a subtle way to talk to him, when she found that she didn’t need to. Upon returning to the room she found Papa on his knees, holding Dad’s hand and sobbing silently. He was talking to him through his tears, letting Dad know that he better not die. Papa told him that he still needed him and that dying now would be the most selfish thing in the world and he would never forgive him. He told Dad just how much he loves him, and it’s so _so_ much.

Eliza thought that her parents loved each other more than anything in the world, but now she knows that that’s a hyperbole. It’s far too small to account for just how _much_ Papa loves Dad. Listening to this, Eliza was certain that Papa must love Dad a whole lot more than anyone was capable of loving anyone. And when faced with losing him, well Eliza could see that Papa looked _torn_.

That adjective doesn’t even define it very well though. Eliza wished Philip were here, he’s the smart one. He’d be able to use the right words to describe how utterly _broken_ Papa looked. Eliza found that she couldn’t just watch anymore, she had to do _something_. So she took out her phone, texted Uncle George and told him to come quick, then set about doing what she could to comfort Papa, using every weapon in her arsenal.

Papa didn’t stop crying, but at the same time he was strong. He was stronger than anyone else Eliza knew. When Uncle George came not even he was enough to get Papa to stop sobbing, but he eased it a tinsy bit.

Eventually they were told that visiting hours were ending, but Papa didn’t leave. He let them know that he was staying until Dad woke up, and there was nothing they could do to make him leave. Papa was famously stubborn, so the hospital bent their rules just this once, letting all three of them stay.

At three thirty-six in the morning the heart monitor went flat, and Papa’s tears just stopped flowing. He looked numb and in shock at the same time. The doctors rushed in and did everything they could to get it to beat again, but nothing worked. They announced three thirty-six as Dad’s time of death. Papa fainted.

Uncle George carried him out of the room, and Eliza could have sworn that she saw tears in his eyes. The nurses asked if she needed some time alone with her father, and at her slight nod they left the room. Eliza crept forward and bent down so she could talk to him, taking ahold of one of his hands, knowing that there was no way he could hear her but needing to get it out anyway.

She whispered, “You weren’t supposed to die, you’re supposed to always be there. You need to be there when I graduate or when I get Gabriel pregnant,” That was a running joke in the family. Eliza didn’t feel like explaining it, “You’re supposed to hold your grand children and be there to tease Papa that he’s getting old. You’re not supposed to _abandon_ me.” A sickening thought entered her stomach and she added, “You’re not supposed to abandon Papa! Don’t you love him?” Her voice rose and she said, “If you loved him you wouldn’t just _die_.” The sound of the heart monitor coming back to life scared Eliza so much she let out a little noise that strongly resembled a squeak. Fingers twitched in Eliza’s hand and she watched in awe as nurses came rushing in, apparently having just stood outside the door.

Maybe Eliza was wrong, maybe Papa and Dad loved each other the same amount. Dad just escaped death for Papa just to prove how much he loved him. Eliza was ushered out of the room as the doctor’s returned, just as surprised by this as she was.

She rushed to tell Uncle George the good news, and he hardly looked surprised. He seemed to know better than any of the kids how much Dad loved Papa. Eliza wanted to be the one to tell Papa when he woke up, but she knew that their struggle was far from over. Dad wasn’t dead _yet_ but he was still in critical condition.

Papa wasn’t going to smile until Dad was fine, aside from the look of euphoria he had when he learned that Dad came back to life, and no nurse could keep Papa from entering the room and staying there until he woke up.

**Author's Note:**

> I asked my beta if this was angsty enough and she still said "HE DIED"  
> ...he got better.


End file.
